We were out of bananas and some other fresh foods. Yesterday was Tuesday, meaning women were allowed in town. Steph decided she’d like to try the trip out, so she left while the rest of us were still finishing breakfast. We assumed that if she went earlier than I had last week, she’d have better success catching a ride.
On the way out, she stopped in to talk with Cilia a bit. Cilia showed her that Mecha, the dog that Lamar’s had been caring for, had whelped in the back of their mototaxi and had six puppies. Mecha is actually Cilia’s dog, but she changed loyalties when Lamar’s came and insisted on living down at their house. Cilia told Steph that they couldn’t care for the pups and wondered if we’d take Mecha down to our house to raise them. Steph agreed.
Then she noticed a combi starting to go past and went dashing and waving out to the road, managing to catch it in time. I was glad to hear this because the children and I were praying to that end at that moment–not that she had to dash and wave, but we hadn’t been too specific.
God answered our prayers and gave Steph a successful trip into town. She was able to find pretty well all she was looking for, and she found a combi for the way back. She made it home just in time for lunch, which was Amish peanut butter sandwiches in celebration.
After naps, we all walked up together to Cilia’s to collect the dogs. On the way, we came across five ducks. I’d been seeing them over the past couple of weeks, and Steph had seen them that morning. They were identical to the ducks we’d lost, which amazed us. They were not at anyone’s house the few times I had seen them, and now they were simply in a field. We decided to catch them if we could. We did! How incredible that they had lived all this while! Anne was thrilled, as these were “her ducks” that had disappeared.
I had brought a bucket up to haul the puppies in. Mecha had two more since that morning, bringing the total to eight pups, three females and five males. The lechero had asked me to find puppies for him to replace the few that have been lost recently. This felt like an answer to prayer because I cannot go out to market now and hadn’t been able to find any for him. Cilia said she wants to pick one out for herself when they’re weaned. We told her the happy news about our ducks and headed home. She said she had wondered whose ducks they were running around.
Mecha was not able to walk, being too exhausted from her labor, so I carried her all the way down to the house. Steph stopped in at Lamar’s to water the flowers, while the rest of us went home and started chores. Mecha did not move from the new nest I made her until this morning, but seems to be gaining her strength back. Anyone want a puppy?
Just before bed, the children said there were flashlights in our yard. I went out to talk to them–the people, not the flashlights. There was a lady and two girls out there who said they wanted to talk to Steph. This was the same lady who had a dead cow up in the field a couple months back. She told Steph that she wants her ducks back. Oh!
I went back out and chatted with her a bit. She said she’s raised them for over a month now, so they were hers. She did not say she had bought them, and Cilia didn’t seem to think they belonged to anyone, but I did not press the issue. We went out to the hen house and caught them all and said goodbye. Steph gave the lady a bag of freshly baked rolls to take with her as an apology.
I rather believe they are our ducks, or were. But if Mecha can change her allegiances, so can ducks, I suppose. They children were quite saddened to have to give up the ducks, having only just gotten them back. Anne was especially sad because the one duck that was supposedly her “favorite” duck from before had been found, but now she had lost it all over again. There were many tears.
However, it gave us an opportunity to talk about love and about how our relationships with our neighbors are much more important than having five ducks. These folks are rather poor. Having five extra ducks makes a significant difference for them. If this is a way we can reflect Jesus’ love, we wanted to take it. That seemed to comfort Anne and the others.
All in all, it was an eventful day. I went to bed thinking how God was good and had provided for us in various ways that day. He sees us and cares.
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Juan David 